Willem Dafoe Latest for ‘Out of the Furnace’

Can a movie’s cast be a little too good? That’s the question I’m forced to ponder when discussing Out of the Furnace, which has already been able to lock an incredible assembly, consisting of Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, Casey Affleck, and Sam Shepard. A great lineup, but, with just one actor, the proceedings got a whole deal better.

According to Variety, Willem Dafoe has been has been added to the cast of Scott Cooper‘s film, having just signed for the role of “a bookie who Affleck‘s character owes a debt” — not entirely dissimilar to a part Whitaker was initially rumored for. The actual story, meanwhile, can be read below:

“The currently-titled Out of the Furnace tells the story about fate, circumstance and justice. Russell (Bale) and his younger brother Rodney (Affleck) live in the economically depressed Rust Belt, and have always dreamed of escaping and finding better lives. But when a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his brother is lured into one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast — a mistake that will almost cost him everything. Once released, Russell must choose between his own freedom, or risk it all to seek justice for his brother.

Having not read the script precludes me from guessing how substantial the role actually is, but an addition this strong to a cast this good is, honestly, plenty more than I was expecting to hear in the first place. Shooting on Out of the Furnace began about two weeks ago, putting its release date sometime in the 2013 arena. I think we’d be well-advised to keep our excitement up.